NP
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
JEF is very good tour guide in 3 days tour, he is cooperative with lot knowledge.
Jockey tours and safaris is good tour with all staff members and provides good food and hospitality.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Maasai Mara Safari
This was a great tour for the value. Perminus was able to give us all the information we needed during our months of planning. The driver was prompt and we (4 women) felt safe for the entire 3days of our trip. The driver made sure we were able to see as much animals as possible on our outings to the park. We stayed at Enkorok which was very rustic and a great experience of ‘glamping’. The staff at the camp was pleasant and very accommodating. We also enjoyed the balloon ride and the visit to a nearby Maasai village which was also planned by African Marvel.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Gaps in infrastructure, but beautiful wildlife
More than anything, a good guide and driver makes all the difference! We went to Maasai Mara through Perfect Wilderness Tours and Safaris, and Khalifa absolutely made our trip. He was knowledgeable, insightful, funny, and a good driver (despite the extremely rough terrain). More than that, he's fostered good relationships with everyone in and around the park, from rangers to locals to other guides, which gave him an extra edge in creating a memorable experience. If you book with Perfect Wilderness, ask to have him as a guide!
With accommodations, I would recommend skipping the luxury spots and sticking with a basic option. Lenchada Tourist Camp wasn't cushy, but had everything we needed. When you're only going to be there to sleep and have breakfast, it's not worth it to spend the extra money.
One thing I can't recommend is the Maasai cultural experience. If you want to support the tribe beyond your park fees, I would donate to a community fund and skip the show.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgeable, communicative
Migration Venture Africa was very communicative, and they offered a good value for money in their offer. We initially compared a few and went for MVA as they had the number of days we wanted (5 days). The driver/guide picked us up in a clean car with water, we had a great introduction about the days ahead and we went off. The first two days were lovely, a lot of information was shared about the surroundings and habitat of animals, which I love because I'm a curious person. We went to Tarangire, Serengeti 2 days, Ngorongoro and lake Manyara. The days are intense but well organized, there's always water and lunches are good. Noel is a great guy and very knowledgeable, just ask him whatever you want to know. We stayed in Octagon Lodge, which was OK and the staff is lovely (they have the best Swahili samosas). However, in Serengeti we stayed at Baobab and that exceeded our expectations - lodged camps were luxurious, the food was good, there was a campfire with an amazing view on Serengeti and the sunset, I wouldn't mind to come back to this one. We were lucky to see the big 5 quite soon which also of course sets the tone. And we did the hot air balloon, which is a unique experience, however in hindsight it's more interesting to do it when the big migration is happening. For me Ngorongoro made the biggest impression because it's the versatile nature (lake, mountains, clouds, lush trees here and there) combined with mixed wildlife living together (all except for giraffes, and rhinos if you're lucky to see them). Lake Manyara was OK but I wouldn't go back, we saw there elephants and lions but as it's the nature you have to be lucky (which we were!). For all others - Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoror - amazing destinations! On the way from Ngorongoro to Serengeti you'll be passing by an archeological site (Laetoli footprints) which is worth a check. I'm blessed by this safari experience and we ended our holidays on the beach in Zanzibar.
SA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An enchanting experience that is relatively affordable and complete in one package.
SunnyCreeks provided my friend and I with an amazing experience that I truly recommend everyone should try out. They really made the most of the amount whilst not being too expensive. Everything was adequate and good for the price housing, food, safari car, everything! We went with Alex as our driver and guide and he did an amazing job at explaining and talking about all animals that we encountered. Alex really went out of his way to make sure each and every one of us had a good time and that I loved. We were able to spot all big 5. Though I have a few minor concerns over the whole experience.
1. I wish the tipping/fee culture was explained more adequately for someone who comes from a different culture tipping is not the norm however when visiting the masai mara village, then going over the river we were expected to tip, as well as pay a masai mara entrance fee which threw us offgaurd as I didn't expect to spend cash during. (thou the tipping wasn't a lot ~20-40$) I still would have appreciated an earlier headsup. I would have honestly preferred if the price of the package was increased to accommodate the tipping as I found it to be a negative part of my experience. As budget travelers we try to calculate everything involved and these unexpected fees do harm the experience.
2. The third day could have included more activities we visited the masai mara village (took around 2-3 hours) and travelled to the lake to check in. I really think we could have done a lot more in terms of visiting local attractions or just going around in the city or even a group entertainment activity. In the evenings there was a lot of emptiness we wished could have spent better.
3. I wish we were given more tips about pricing and tourism merchandise earlier. Just general tips that help when it comes to bargaining and discussing. We were cheated by the village people who guilt tripped us into purchasing mass produced items that were described as "unique and locally made" and paid 2-3x their usual prices. For many this might be the first thing we try in Kenya so general tips would be nice.
However, the above concerns still did not ruin the experience sunnycreeks is still an amazing provider and I would definitely come back with them again. Even before we landed in Nairobi Maureen made sure our itinerary was correct and that our airport pick up went smoothly. Sunnycreeks gave us nice recommendations of places to enter and spend time as our flights were in an awkward timing. and Maureen made sure our return to the airport went smoothly and even offered us rides to the airport on the way back.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Reliable and uncomplicated.
I spent 4 very nice days. The group I joined and the driver Tony were the best company. If you don’t want to travel alone, I can highly recommend to do a safari by joining a group.
BR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excelent experience mainly for the staffs
Hello Mafie
Poa!!
The safari was great! Sam and Dickson were both AMAZING!
Sam is really experience tour guide and was always trying to help and fix the inconvenientes.
Dickson is a great human being and the best cooker and always wanting to make the best for us.
The tour was great and we saw many many animals and a cheeta attacking (twice) and I again give the credit to the experience of Sam!
The only thing is to guarantee all the alignments - such as private tent, private rooms before you go!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good
We really enjoyed our 3 nights in Kenya. Julious looked after us very well. We felt very safe with him. He had a great knowledge of the animals and the plains. Would highly recommend.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Easygoing with a range of options for safari
I enjoyed my trip to Botswana and regret that I only had three days in country. The Okavango Delta is among the most unique ecosystems on Earth and spans a vast area. As such, one can only cover a short amount of ground in a standard-length trip, so making the right choice for lodging and tour operator is crucial. I enjoyed my dugout canoe tour immensely, but imagine I’d have seen more wildlife had I chosen a lodge further into the Delta (accessible via bush plane). Botswana is an expensive country, but one that is well worth the cost. That’s said it’s worth noting that the “low end” of the budget requires several hundred dollars per day.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience
Booking the trip in advance went smooth. The driver waited for me at the hotel and we were at the park early. The safari went very well and we saw most of the animals at the park, after a fantastic lunch we went to the giraffe sanctuary but regretfully the elephant orphanage, which was supposed to be part of the day, was fully booked so we couldn’t visit it not feed the baby elephants.
